


Midnight and the Owl

by serpent_and_wyrm



Category: Mouse Guard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-18 01:15:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2329874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serpent_and_wyrm/pseuds/serpent_and_wyrm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a while since Midnight's banishment, and he doesn't think he can survive much longer. But then...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Midnight and the Owl

Midnight fought against the strong winds, his ears pressed against the sides of his head and his paws shielding his face. Ice froze to him in white lumps that stood out against his black fur. He was cold, tired, aching.  
A white lump rose on the horizon, growing bigger and bigger as the mouse approached it, until finally he stood in it’s massive shadow. Finally, he was home.  
It wasn’t what most mice would call home. There was tiny hole carved into its base that led to a tangle of branches that were extremely hard to pass. If you managed to pass that, you would find yourself in a small room. It wasn’t, in fact, a real “room”, but a small hollow in the center of a dead bush that had been covered in snow. The lifeless, brown branches intertwined and formed a domed ceiling that kept out most of the snow. A small fire pit had been scratched into the ground, full of the remnants of last night’s fire. The bush wasn’t a perfect house, but it was good enough.  
Midnight started a small fire and warmed his hands with it. Cool water trickled down his back as the ice melted. He sighed with relief, reaching into the worn bag he used to collect food. There wasn’t much, just a few chunks of meat he had gotten from a dead wolf. It was more than he was used to.  
Midnight grabbed the breastplate of his once glorious black armor and used it as a cooking dish to roast the meat. He had long ago devoured the leather straps that held the suit together. All that was left was a pile of sad looking metal pieces.   
Everything was quiet. There was not a sound but the crackling of the fire and the munching noise of Midnight eating. Shadows danced on the ground, acting unseen plays of hope and despair.  
And then, the silence was swallowed by a noise…  
Midnight jumped out of the way as chunks of snow fell from the ceiling. The whole room shook violently. The fire seemed to flicker confusedly for a second, and then died as a piece of ice smothered it. Everything was chaos. Then, suddenly, it was peaceful again.  
Midnight retreated into the shadows, looking around for the cause of the ruckus. It was to dark to see much, but a large hole in the ceiling was just visible.  
“Come out, little mouse…”  
The mouse hid himself in the branches, waiting, shivering with fear.  
“No use hiding, little mouse. I know you’re there…”  
A huge, black tipped talon shot through the hole, grabbing Midnight around the waist. The razor sharp claws dug into his sides. Blood stained the white ground.   
“PUT ME DOWN!” he shouted, fighting despite the pain.   
“Oh? Why should I?” The monster stared at him with great, yellow eyes, “I haven’t eaten in such a long, long time.”  
“Because…”  
“Because? That is not an answer, little mouse.”  
An idea popped into midnight’s mind.  
“Because if you don’t eat me, I’ll show you something amazing.”  
“Yes?”  
“A place full of mice. Fat mice, unlike me. Happy, juicy, delicious mice.”  
The owl clicked its beak. It appeared to be considering the offer.  
“Hop on, little mouse,” it said, placing Midnight down onto the top of the bush and extending a snow-white wing.  
The mouse grinned. Finally, he could get his revenge…


End file.
